Sidlow sidelined for season

16th July 2013

Bradford Bulls prop Adam Sidlow has been ruled out for the rest of the season after being told he needs knee surgery.

The former Salford City Reds front rower, who has missed only two of 23 matches in his first season with the Bulls, will be sidelined for 12 weeks after sustaining the injury in Bradford's last match at Wigan Warriors 11 days ago.

Bradford coach Francis Cummins said: "He's been to see the specialist today and will need surgery.

"Any loss to a squad of our size is massive and Adam has done well because he came in quite late to us and didn't really have a pre-season. He's grown in confidence and is growing within our systems."

The Bulls will also be without centre or second rower Matty Blythe for Friday's home game against Hull FC after he too picked up a knee injury in his side's 26-20 defeat by Wigan.

Cummins, who has ruled Blythe out for a month, was angered by the "cannonball" tackle he says caused the injury but will let the matter drop after lodging a complaint with the Rugby Football League.

"Matty Blythe has definitely had a direct contact with his knee from behind but there was no action so obviously that must be legal," Cummins said.

The double injury blow is a setback to the Bulls' hopes of reaching the play-offs for the first time in five years but the week off caused by the Challenge Cup quarter-finals has enabled most of the team's other injured players to recover.